Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-09-30
TALES OF THE ROCKS.
The Past OF Europe, as Told by
Geology.
william I. and the New Forest-Ireland's
Snakes Physicai Changes and
Meteorological Facts-In
the Matter of Diet.

Snakes = Physical Changes and
meteorological Facts-In
the Matter of Dict.
All things new and old are weighed
IN the balance OF searching inquiry aud
sssayed ia the crrcible of fierce
criticism. Every increase of knowl-
edge throws more powerful glare
upon the things that are. As the light
is concentrated and directed to the
events of history or the beliefs of the
present, some of them shrivel up and
pass off In the smoke of exploded error.
The gold Of truth comes out purified
from the dross of superstition, and as
the lake flashes back the sunbeams
from its surface, so it sends back re-
Elections from the searching light
thrown upon it. and thereby stands
more clearly revealed. 1t is.
then, not surprising that the char
acters of many Of our Kings should
be found varying with the amount
Of light thrown upon them. Now, a
monarch's character appears in bright
coiors; and then; again, the increased
light shows it much darker--the
brightness has perhaps been only white
wash laid on by some partial historian.
/ In other cases, some blots disappear as
the Light grows stronger--they have,
perchance, been only mud thrown by
some enemy. 1t is, however, strange
and unexpected that geology should
step itrto correct the historian, and re-
move a grave stain from the character
of one of England 5 Kings We have all
felt how greatly to the discredit of our
First William was that making of the
New Forest. of which we read in our
histories We learn how he laid waste
villages, and drove ont the inhabitants
to make royal hunting ground. Our
histories relate it as fact, and
cast no shadow of doubt upon it.
And now geology in, and says that
such thing never happened. An ex-
animation of the geological features OF
the New Forest has led to this remark
able conclusion: ITO the eye of the
geologist,n says Prof Ramsay, "ii
easily appears that the wet and Jun
kindly soil produced by the clays and
gravels of the district forms suffi
cent reason why in old times, as now
1t never could have been a cultivated
and populous country, for the soil fol
the most part is poor, and probably
chiefly consisted Of native forest-la ne
lthat is uncultivatel land) even in the
: Conqueror's day"
+ And so this voice-geologica bids II
} acquit our monarch of a stain which
, has rested on his name these long cen
4 turtles. Shall we, then, accept this eyi
dencc as conclusive, and let go thu
: long-cherished bit of history We Cal
q only reply in the words of Aristotle
/ 'The matter is before you-iudge o
b It," There are, however, two historic
O al considerations which should hav
I made our chroniclers pause ere the,
d forests and wild beasts were, we shout
a suppose, only too plentiful in Englan
!. at that period. A vast area of tn
q country was covered with woods
o. which doubtless swarmed with viii
4 animals OF various kinds. l. it likel
y that. under such circumstances, an
! ane would take the trouble to make
"a forest for huntingp And then, vii
a lam l. being foreigner, and havin
r. taken land from the natives for his ow
3 followers, stories TO his discredit woul
ii be sure to arise. Some of this falls
q coinage would be very likely to be eli
d culated by distortions.
# Not only has the light of geologic,
J. truth been thrown over the broa
8, fields of knowledge, but it has al.
w penetrated into various out-of-the- wa
70 corners and brought to light many cd
it and unsupported facts. To account f,
70 the smaller number of reptiles
~ Ireland, tradition says they WEI
driven out by St Patrick. Aud eve
d on this obscure prob lem geology h;
m shed light, and given scientit
Il reason for the fact. 1t has been we
1t established by geological reasonin
W that Britain has been again and aga
% united to the continent. and as mar
1t times severed from it. Here. then,
TT the key to explain the mystery of Il
d reptiles. 1t appears that there al
a twenty-five native species in Belgium
% eleven in England, and only five
1. Ireland Professor Edward Forb
10 drew attention to this, and explainc
Ii it by supposing that they migrat,
o. from the continent westwal
se while Britain and Ireland we
10 nnitpd to IL. Suppose them sprea dir
itom some continental center towa
- our land. We know that differe
~ species vary greatly in their powers
: colonizing; some spread quickly, Al
II others slowly. During the oontinuan
!, of continental epoch, some of t
y faster-spreading species would get
!, far as Ireland; others, not so quic
would only get to England; while sol
would not have time to get even as t;
n And So when the continuity of la
re was broken up, Ireland had receiv
ct fewer than England, and Engla
til itself only portion of the continent
species; and itmay be that Ireland W
les separated from England before the Ii
III. ter was severed from the continent. I
VA, smaller native fora of Ireland is
til. counted for by the same facts.
te' Geology is no respecter of natiol
aI., Not only does IL show ma our pro